My Letter to Your MP RE: Unwanted Use of Telegraph Poles.

Good afternoon

I am writing to you as a local councillor for the Garforth & Swillington ward and as one of your constituents.

I would like to draw your attention to the letter, attached, from Chris Bryant, Minister of State for Data Protection and Telecoms to the telecommunications industry,  dated 16/8/2024.

It is disappointing in that letter that the, then,  newly appointed Labour minister did not deem it necessary to ban the use of telegraph poles when providing the infrastructure for enhanced broadband.

However, more disappointing, is that the overtures made to the industry within that letter, regarding better community relationships and greater care regarding siting of these objects and encouraging working with local authorities and communities, have clearly, based on the Garforth experience, been ignored.

 You may not be aware as it predates your tenure as  our member of Parliament but, working with local residents, the three independent councillors negotiated with another company to avoid the use of telegraph poles in the area and were given assurances, with the very odd exception, that the work could be undertaken underground and in a more sensitive way.

The point I am making is that the desires and aspirations of the community to not see unsightly poles outside their homes have been ignored and the alternative solutions, that are demonstrably available, have also been ignored.

As the MP for the area, I would suggest that you hold the power to lobby your own government to, quickly, bring forward legislation to ban the use of telegraph poles with the absolute exception of where it is proved that they are completely necessary and unavoidable. 

 The ministers' thoughts from last August have clearly been ignored, regarding this set of installations in Garforth,  and I think it is time for government to urgently legislate against the use of poles simply to deliver infrastructure projects as cheap as possible to the providers.

It is also a great concern that local planning considerations and local highways considerations are bypassed, and I think this bodes very poorly for the future. 

Would it be possible for you to facilitate a community meeting with a representative of the minister to discuss our ongoing concerns as a matter of urgency.

Since July, this new government have proved, when they want to, that they can legislate very quickly indeed.

Whilst we recognise that even urgent legislation may be too late for our community, this is happening up and down the land and has become a modern-day blight on many communities.

I would like you to invite a representative of the government who works within the relevant department to hear the concerns of your constituents.

I look forward to an early response. 

Councillor Mark Dobson
Leader, Garforth and Swillington Independents
Garforth & Swillington Ward